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Expect no new states from constitution review – Ekweremadu

November 14, 2012 : Oluwole Josiah, Abuja

Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu | credits: File copy

The Senate Committee on Constitution Review has said the current Constitution amendment exercise will not produce new states, given the stringent procedure provided in Section 8 of the Constitution.

Speaking to correspondents on Tuesday ahead of the zonal public hearings which would hold simultaneously on Thursday and Friday in the six geopolitical zones, Chairman of the committee, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, said the process that would see the creation of states was different from the ongoing amendment.

He said, “Nigerians are confusing things and that is why anyone can begin to expect that at the end of this exercise, somebody will come up to announce that states have been created. That is not going to happen because the constitution does not make such provisions.

“So, the issue of state creation is completely different from what we are doing because if you look at Section 8 and Section 9, there are two different issues. So, any group that wants a state can necessarily start the process without meeting any requirement of the committee of the Senate or the House dealing with the issue of constitution amendment.

“It is something that can run its own course without involving the committee. What is going on really is that Nigerians are making their request for the creation of states based on the fact that they believe that these two committees can come up with criteria that will favour them.”

According to Ekweremadu, the National Assembly can provide the leadership in attaining the aspirations of the different groups requesting for state creation by advising on the possible states to be created and where they would be created.

He said, in spite of such advice, the people making the request would still be required to generate their requests and submit to the National Assembly as well as generate resolutions of the requisite authorities, the local councils, the Houses of Assembly and then the National Assembly where a two third vote would be taken by both chambers.

He noted that the process would then proceed to the stage of holding a referendum after which it would go to the Houses of Assembly of all the states in Nigeria. “So even if you are requesting for a State in Sokoto, the House of Assembly in Abia State will also vote for it,” he added.

On the public hearings at the zones, Ekweremadu noted that besides the 56 requests for states, the committee had received a total of 241 memoranda from various groups on the different areas of focus for amendment.

He restated that the areas covered were devolution of powers, state creation, constitutional recognition for the six geopolitical zones, local government system, fiscal federalism, residency and state of origin, and the police system among others.

It’s a fact dat requirement 4 state creation are cumbersome presently,it’s only de military juntas dat had been creating states beging 4rm Gowon era to Abacha.why den are dey wasting our money,energy & time to attend all des un neccesary hearings,nigerian we better forget new states 4 now,our lawmakers hands are tied.

Alh mathia obasanjo

What nigeria need is to divide into northern nd southern nigeria. Dat document is already frustrated by unsatisfied northerners who think british morgage nigeria 2 them. Acf(arewa consultative forum), rabiu kwakwaso, nd many uncivilize clock of politicians 4rm d nörth have had series of meeting to frustrate dis welcome development .

AREWA, BIAFRA AND ODUDUWA REPUBLICS

THE MILITARY THAT GAVE NIGERIANS THE 1999 CONSTITUTION DOES NOT WANT BLOODY CIVILIANS TO CREATE ANY STATE

Advice

Then let’s have new countries.

Onukogu M

Mr advice, what will you call the new countries ?

Okon

Up up people republic of Okopusem

Raheem isiaka adeniran

More states need to be created to reduce d rate of unemployment in Nigeria

peace

my friend more state can only create employment if the state were economically viable but creating sate without true federalism with amount to liability states that depends on allocation from govt to survive

Junta

No matter what, the south east needs an additional state.

Prince

Hahahahahahahahaha………Niaja law maker.

Peter Dabara Gbagyi voice.

Can we now call it a U turn? On first hearing of constitution review Senate president David Mark spell-out what the committee is going to review and the first thing he mentioned was creation of new states including mayoral status for FCT. Does it mean he knows nothing about section 8 and 9 of 1999 constitution? All what original inhabitants of FCT are saying is that, the next minister of fct must come must be an indegen or else. He who have ears should listen the Gbagyi voice have spoken.

bala97

XNK GOD, D PPLE WHO ARE ON FRONT SITE AGITATING 4 MORE STATE(IGBO), SHOULD TAKE LOOK AT D PERSON DAT FIRST COME OUT, EXTINCTED THEY HOPE, HOW I WISH THIS, EKWERE-MAD-DOOM, ARE 4RM NORTH OR SOUTHWEST, U WILL START HERING SOME STUPID IGBO ABUSING D REGION WHERE HE CAME 4RM, CLUELESS PPLE.

OKUNSTATE MOVEMENT

Creation of OKUN STATE is just.
okunstatemovement facebook.

Emeka

The most troubling aspect of the militarized 1999 constitution, as amended, is the imbalance in political representation that arose from undue large distribution of states in the northern part of Nigeria. What then is the constitution amendment all about, Senator Ekweremadu, if you are not confusing issues here? No body can, due to selfish reasons, talk away with balancing the lopsided state creation and political representation in Nigeria in the constitution amendment exercise, and still expect to come out with any acceptable amendment. If Nigeria is for good for all of us, what should have been done for now is just create a sixth state in the southeast, and talk of creating new states latter.

goodgovernance

the people of south east should react to this piece of news from one of them, if there is no state for se, then the govt should grant biafra. or it is no state no biafra situation.

Saki Agbele Shitta

The National Assembly should then focus on the amendment of section 8 nd 9 to remove the cumbersome, so as to allowed for better future process.

KEEP IT REAL

You make sense!!

Kay

There shldnt ßξ any creatn of new state now. Let us return τ̲̅o regions or Provinces or rather united state of Nigeria. If d hausas want τ̲̅o create, they W̶̲̥̅̊ȋ̊ƪƪ do it and give themselves 4 n give 2 τ̲̅o the south. They W̶̲̥̅̊ȋ̊ƪƪ create animal state emir state or cow state uneconomical state. In most of the states , some few cabals are just leaking d state dry.

ken

Ekweemadu, do not display your well known cowardice. It is the duty of the National Assembly to kick start the process of creating new states. Do not tell Nigerians that your committee is merely wasting their time talking about constitution amendment, while deep inside you, you know that the military that drafted that constitution has awed you, hence you people are only aspiring for political perquisites in the resent unworkable political system and structure. Majority of Nigerians need new states. In the southeast, it is more needed to redress the lingering imbalance in distribution of states. First amend the sections 8 and 9 of the 1999 constitution.

Okoko

Why then is the ammendment when you cannot ammend the cumbersome section. Whatever you are doing, give east one more state for equity sake.

tina

My people.nigeria amalgamation Expiresw 2014,By queenogech.9.01am on sep 25,2011.The amalgamation of southern nigeria and northern nigeria by the british was to be experimented for 100 YEARS if it’s going to work or not.according to the secret goverment document the british left nigeri after Independence.Although.the document was kept secret.This fact is generally known to the ruling class.most dons politicials sciene and law as well as the the goverment of U.K.However.there has been consistent efforts by nigerian goverment to keep this knowledge out of public as it may lead to agitation for breaking-up the country into TWO i.e pre 1914 status especially those in the south.The awareness of this document and the closeness of 2014 has been cousing panic among the northern elites.The panic was the recret comment by senate president that nigerian will not break -up.it also behind the warning by the NBA president when he said in Benin last week that nigeria will break-up.Even pre Jonathan is NERVOUS about this fact.
IMPLICATION OF THE DOCUMENT
OCTOBER FIRST 2014 Nigerian will no longer legally Exist.

ike

Make Ike Ekweremadu, the VP come 2015, he must not allow the Igbo to break away from Nigeria. tina vote for Ike, 2015!!!!

Field Marshal Gyan Koboko

You are right southeast deserves no more states,

KEEP IT REAL

Why ??

Yusuf Lawali, Saudi Arabia.

I can’t understand what this is all about.

mercy

Ike Ekweremadu is just a humble, cool headed man. He speaks for the whole country not for one region. We are solidly behind you, unlike Orji Kalu who is proud and arrogant.

THADDAEUS DAVID IN SAGBAMA

Weather the senate like it or not there must be state creation in nigeria come 2013 or else…………………………..

david in sagbama

I am sorry but i must speak the truth and the truth is that EBIKONBOERE is the only girl i love in this whole wide world.Why?because she is cute,pretty,beautiful, charming,etc.She is a gem indeed,i love her dearly.

bala97

where is southeasters, look at what your own son is saying. faceless people. had it being d man come 4rm other region, start raining abuses, shameless people. xnk god, ur own start crippling ur hope. NO MORE STATE CREATION. “SHEGU”

Jijek

Or else what. it is people like you who has put the Nigerian State into the horrible mess we are facing.

Give them a state

Nigerians specialise on politic, they can not create any jobs for the youth if we have to be honest to our self, every body want to enrich his or her pocket. so if creating a new state is possible then i am in total support of it. to put more people into the system at list.

adewale mumini

The creation of new state reduce d nigeria problem.

omega

Bala,can’t u see that everyone here(both yorubas and igbos) is too responsible to answer an uncivilize entity like u.my dear pls grow up,we hv pass this ur stage of using abusive word on other tribe.

Spokesperson for the Senate Unity Forum, Senator Kabir Marafa, saying his colleagues passed a vote of confidence in Dr. Bukola Saraki’s senate leadership in order to spite President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress leadership.